


Into the Whirlpools

by Amikotsu



Category: Naruto
Genre: Best Friends, Different Villages, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Good Uchiha Obito, KakaObi Week 2020, M/M, Uzushiogakure | Hidden Eddy Village
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:22:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22809328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amikotsu/pseuds/Amikotsu
Summary: At sunset, the city came alive.Welcome to the fall of Uzushiogakure. The whirlpools and barriers had failed them. Obito goes from worrying about going public with Kakashi to worrying about basic survival. They experience the fall first hand, and there's nothing they can do. All the seals in the world can't save them.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & Nohara Rin, Hatake Kakashi & Nohara Rin & Uchiha Obito, Hatake Kakashi/Uchiha Obito, Nohara Rin & Uchiha Obito
Kudos: 52
Collections: KakaObi Week 2020





	Into the Whirlpools

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Different Villages

_At sunset, the city came alive._

Monday. Obito rolled onto his side and reached out to tilt his alarm clock toward his face. Three o'clock in the morning and he still couldn't get to sleep. He lived in clan housing, on the third floor of an apartment building, and he still heard the noise from the streets. Sighing, Obito turned the covers back and threw his legs over the side of the bed. He felt a hand on his back and he made a vague hand gesture that went unseen in the dark. He left the bed to close and lock the window -- his friends constantly nagged him about closing his windows, but what did they know? Obito hesitated at the window, eyes scanning the streets. He saw neighbors out and about, celebrating another victory at sea. The civilians said the whirlpools kept intruders away from the island, but Kakashi always told Obito that if enemies really wanted the village, whirlpools wouldn't stop them. Kakashi was smart; he knew a lot about the world. Even though they were both seventeen, Kakashi had always been more mature, more studious, more prepared. A firecracker went off, so Obito snapped the curtains closed and muttered under his breath about stupid kids. By that point, Kakashi was halfway up, resting back on his elbows. 

"Just stupid kids," Obito mumbled, running his hands over his face. He slipped back into bed and wrapped his arms around Kakashi, pulling the boy into another embrace. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"You're asking me that question?" Kakashi wasn't big on displays of affection, but one cute look from Obito and Kakashi caved, every single time. "We report in seven hours," Kakashi reminded Obito. 

"Don't remind me. We still have hillside duty," Obito replied, words buried in the kisses Obito trailed down Kakashi's bare chest. "I don't see why our team has to do it. We're overqualified." Obito finally stopped kissing and rested his cheek against Kakashi's stomach. "When I made jonin, I didn't think I'd be stuck on village rotation."

"We wouldn't be on village rotation if you didn't burn down the east bridge."

"It was a training accident!"

"You accidentally burnt down a hundred-year-old structure?"

"Hn. Fine. My bad," Obito mumbled, nuzzling Kakashi's stomach. "You didn't have to say it was your fault. You're always looking out for me and," Obito was cut off when Kakashi placed two fingers over his mouth. 

"I'm not arguing with you at three in the morning. Either finish what you started or let me go to sleep," Kakashi said, removing the fingers from over Obito's mouth. Obito huffed, but he slipped underneath the covers, content to go with the flow. 

Obito awoke to the smell of bacon, and his mouth watered. Throwing the covers back, Obito hurried to pull on his boxers, then he followed the heavenly scent into his kitchen, where he found Kakashi humming a surprisingly cheery tune. Obito slipped up behind him and wrapped his arms around Kakashi's waist. The humming quickly turned to a sigh. The bacon was almost finished, so Obito pulled away and went to sulk on the other side of the kitchen. They weren't really together, not officially, but sometimes, whenever Kakashi sighed at his need for affection, he wondered if they ever would be anything more than -- well, whatever the hell they were. Kakashi used the bacon to top off what looked like oatmeal, then he handed a bowl to Obito and headed to the couch. Obito had meant to get a new table, but the war had started, and that had overshadowed everything.

"It's a new recipe," Kakashi informed him. Obito turned so that he could see Kakashi's face. Kakashi was handsome, especially when he teased Obito with his mask tricks, as Obito deemed them. "Stop staring at me and eat your food."

"Fine," Obito pouted, stuffing some of the concoction into his mouth. He tasted the miso and the touch of something familiar. "Is there honey in this? How did you get honey?"

"I used my ration card and got the last of it at the market. You like it," Kakashi said, shrugging.

The ration cards had been passed out a few months into the Second War. Sometimes, Obito forgot about them. Shinobi received more food than civilians, but food was limited. Everything not grown or produced on the island had to be escorted from the mainland to the island and back again. In times of war, Uzushio didn't have shinobi to spare. Obito looked down at the colorful bowl in his hands, then he frowned. They'd been lucky, so far. Other teams had been broken up to form designated units. Kakashi was a better shinobi, one of the best in the village. Obito knew it would only be a matter of time before the kage broke them apart. And then where would they go? What would happen with Rin? Kakashi slapped the bottom of his right foot and he hissed in pain, even if the hit didn't really hurt him.

"I wanted to buy it for you," Kakashi said, rolling his eyes. Obito nudged his toes against Kakashi's left thigh. Kakashi opened his mouth to say something else, but he froze. Slowly, Obito turned to look at the door. "Rin."

"Shit! She doesn't know about us. Do we let her know? Is this how we want to come out?" Obito placed his bowl on the coffee table and grabbed Kakashi's arm. They shared one meaningful look, then Kakashi leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Obito's lips. Obito tried to lean in for more, but Kakashi left him there. "What are you -- are you going to climb out my _window_?"

"I'm not ready," Kakashi frowned. He collected his bag from beside the bedroom door, then he hurried back over to the window in the front room. One of the two windows never opened, but Kakashi knew exactly which window opened. "I'll see you at the east hill. Don't be late."

"Obito? It's Rin! I brought you some fresh bread!" Rin knocked on the door, using her own secret code that Obito swore he would memorize. What difference did the code make if she introduced herself at the door?

"Would it be so bad to tell her?" Obito didn't know why he decided to pressure Kakashi, but they had been sneaking around for nine months already and nothing had changed. He wanted change. He wanted something good in his life, and that meant Kakashi. 

"Obito." Kakashi looked like he wanted to crawl back in through the window so they could have the talk they'd been putting off since the first time they kissed in the academy. It was an accident, of course, but Obito had thought it was on purpose. That had been confusing.

"I really care about you, and," Obito didn't get to finish because Rin started knocking on the door again. "I'll be there when I get there! I'm naked!" Obito turned his back to the door and took Kakashi's hand in his. "I'm tired of sneaking around. What happens if we get split up? What happens if this war doesn't end next month or the next month or the next month? Look, I really." Obito stopped because Kakashi pulled him into a kiss.

"Go answer the door. We'll talk tomorrow. I promise." Kakashi smiled, eyes briefly closed, then he swung out of the window, leaving billowing curtains in his wake. Rin started knocking on the door, so Obito slammed the window shut and stomped over to the front door.

"Good morning, Obito!"

"You're persistent."

"You like to be late, so I thought I'd pick you up today. It is your fault that we're on hillside duty." Rin smiled at him, but he knew she was still angry. Obito stepped aside for Rin to enter into his apartment, then he closed the door. It was to the point where he could have opened the door naked and she wouldn't have noticed -- they both knew she'd always wanted Kakashi. "You had company?"

"Huh?"

"There are two bowls on the table."

"No there aren't!"

"One. Two." She pointed to the two bowls, brows furrowed in confusion. Obito looked between the two bowls and forced a laugh. 

"No! They're both for me. All me. I'm just really hungry today! I'll just finish up, and then I'll get ready!" Obito dove over the back of the couch and collected his bowl, then started shoveling food into his mouth. Rin put the fresh bread away in the kitchen and actually started washing the dishes. "You don't have to do that," he mumbled.

"I know, but I want to help," she smiled again, making him blush. Sometimes she was so oblivious, but he loved her. He used to have the biggest crush on her, and then the accidental kiss had happened.

Hillside duty was as exciting as it sounded. Team Minato had been on hillside duty a lot over the years. Away from the village, the hillsides provided perfect views of the lowlands and out into the sea. Chunin generally took the hillside missions. Nothing ever happened, so the ones assigned to the hills did nothing but stare into the distance. Obito hated hillside duty. He lived for excitement and danger. He lived to prove himself to others; he became a shinobi for recognition and appreciation that he lacked at home. His parents had been deserters, or so the clan head said, so he'd spent nine years in an orphanage, until he passed the entrance exam for the shinobi academy. He didn't have the sharingan yet, but he excelled in fuinjutsu. He preferred cracking seals rather than creating them, and Kakashi seemed fine creating them, so they balanced out. Rin had wanted to be a doctor, but she couldn't afford the classes, so she signed up for the shinobi academy to be a team medic. She had one year left before her mandatory service ended. Obito didn't see her staying -- she saved people; she wasn't very good at killing them. 

Despite Rin dragging him out of his apartment and personally escorting him to the eastern camp, Obito was still fifteen minutes late. Because of his need to help every elderly civilian in the village, he'd also made Rin late. Kakashi was the team leader, and he stared right into Obito's soul. Rin patted his shoulder and tried to excuse his behavior, but he pouted at Kakashi.

"It's not like we missed anything important. Look. Green hills, green valleys, blue water. You could keep this between us, Bakashi. Who knows, you might be rewarded for it," Obito grinned, trying to hint at the possibility of sexual favors. Kakashi arched a brow at him and he huffed. "You know, _rewarded_. Forget it. Fine. Tell on me then."

"I think I will. Maybe you might get here on time if you get this mission over and over again," Kakashi smiled. Rin had the nerve to laugh, so Obito stomped past the two. "There's no activity. The last team briefed me on some smoke they thought they saw on the horizon, but it was fog."

"They were right out of the academy, huh?" Rin looked like she felt bad for the last team, but she bounced back and extended a single scroll to Kakashi. "I made lunch, since we'll be here a while. I think I got the seal right for temperature control this time so we won't have frozen food."

Obito shared a look with Kakashi, neither wanting to encourage her. Rin was a novice with seals, something that set her apart from other shinobi. She had the best chakra control out of the academy though, even better than Kakashi, and she already had a doctor at the hospital ready to hire her. Obito had once thought they'd grow old together, and then she'd met Raido. 

"Daydreaming already?"

"It's never too early to start."

"What were you thinking about?"

Kakashi sat down beside Obito and handed him a pair of binoculars, just like the ones he and Rin had on hand. Together, they surveyed the area, looking for signs of ships, even though the ships docked on the western shore. Sighing, Obito lowered his binoculars and looked over his shoulder at Rin. She was surveying the valleys, her attention focused on following marked paths. 

"I was thinking about Rin and Raido," Obito admitted, getting an encouraging hum in response. "It's weird that she's seeing someone. They're talking about marriage. We're not even that old. I didn't think she was really over you."

"I don't think you should ever bring this up with her," Kakashi started, holding a hand up to stop an oncoming outburst, "but I think that if they want to get married, they should get married. Shinobi marry younger than civilians, for obvious reasons. Life expectancy, financial incentives, overall security, and the island has been hit with low birthing rates. It will even out in a post-war setting."

"What?"

"People reproduce like rabbits when it's peaceful. I can still see that dead stare you used to have in the academy when you didn't understand."

"You're such a bastard. I'm not dumb. I just didn't know all of that. There are incentives to get married?"

"Yes," Rin piped up, finally joining the two. She sat down between them, oblivious to the fact that she became the third wheel. She smiled at Obito, brown eyes alight with joy. "With marriage, in addition to double the income, you receive a tax credit. For shinobi, the marriage fee is waived. You can even get money for having children. Paid maternity leave too!"

"Uh, you aren't thinking about that right now, are you? Ow! Why did you hit me?" Obito rubbed the spot on his head where Kakashi had hit him. Realizing where his questioning led, Obito forced a laugh. "Sorry. That sounds great, Rin!"

"Don't hit him! It's a good question," Rin said, narrowing her eyes at Kakashi. Maintaining eye contact, Kakashi hit Obito again, so Rin rolled her eyes at him. "It's something to think about. Oh! Kakashi! Obito has a lover!" Obito choked, then spent a few seconds waving away Rin's attempts at helping him.

"Someone was willing to sleep with him?"

"The person practically jumped into my bed."

"I don't see that happening."

"So who is it, Obito?" Rin leaned forward, ending the staring competition between Obito and Kakashi. She looked excited for Obito and that made him feel bad. He wanted to tell her; he _really_ wanted to tell her.

"It's, uh, complicated. I mean," Obito paused, "I'm serious, but maybe _she_ isn't, so I don't want to pressure her."

"Why did you emphasize _she_?" Rin genuinely looked confused, so Obito played through a few lies in his head. "What's that?"

"You might know her," Obito began, cut off by Rin physically turning his head toward the horizon. "Oh no."

"We need to report this now. Activate the seal for the Kage," Kakashi said, already commanding Rin. Rin jumped up and ran to their camp for the seal given to them at mission assignment. Obito sat on the hillside and stared out at the approaching ships. "Come on, Obito. Now isn't the time to freeze up."

"What does this mean?"

"No, don't pack up, Rin. Leave anything that isn't essential. Obito, get up."

"Are they coming here?"

"Get up, Obito. Come on."

"This can't be happening." Kakashi pressed his gloved hands to Obito's cheeks. "Most of the troops are in the Land of Fire, Kakashi. How the hell are we," Obito stopped, cut off by Kakashi kissing him.

"Let's go. We'll be fine," Kakashi said, taking Obito's hands and tugging him up. Rin placed her hand over their joined hands, then they activated their hiraishin seals.

The sea caves on the southwestern edge of Whirlpool served as a hideaway for civilians. New genin and chunin escorted people from Uzushiogakure and the eastern side of Whirlpool to the sea caves, just as they had practiced during evacuation drills. Only experienced sailors navigated the rough seas; the bottom of the sea was littered with sunken ships, both new and old. But Kirigakure shinobi braved the sea in some attempt at bringing the war right to Uzushiogakure. The Kage had signaled the evacuation, which took precious time, then sent a message to Konoha, their ally. All able-bodied shinobi were recalled from abroad to defend Uzushio, but the problem was they wouldn't make it in time. Obito knew that; Kakashi knew that. Despite being powerhouses when it came to fuinjutsu, they were short on shinobi. Everyone prayed the whirlpools and activated barriers would hold. 

For hours, they waited, shinobi hidden throughout the coast in an attempt to stop the Kiri nin from reaching the village. They needed time, so they only needed to dig in and hold the front to the east. Obito watched the boats in the distance, the binoculars secure around his neck. He'd been to the front lines in the Land of Fire, and he'd almost died there. Kakashi had saved his life. Something warned him that he wouldn't be that lucky again. Beside him, Rin rechecked her scrolls for any medical equipment they might need. She was the only medic in their assault unit. Everyone knew to protect her at all costs. Her hands shook, but her expression was one of determination. Obito felt just as nervous, just as anxious, and he hated that the Kage had agreed to aid Konoha in the first place, regardless of the fact that the largest clans, the Uzumkaki and Senju, were distant relatives. The Uchiha clan felt that way. Uzushio fought and died simply because of an old agreement dating back to Mito's marriage to Hashirama. 

"Are you nervous?" Rin kept her voice low, even though they didn't need to whisper. Everyone there was a nervous wreck, but they all appeared calm. "It'll be alright. Kakashi is a good leader."

"I'm fine," Obito lied, forcing a smile. Rin chewed on her lip for a minute, then she took one of Obito's hands in hers.

"Courage isn't the absence of fear," she began, her words cut off by an explosion along the shore. She started to shake again and Obito tightened the hold on her hand. "Looks like this is it. Let's show them what Uzushio is all about."

The barrier unit was the first to fall. The sound of fighting had Obito's stomach in knots. Eventually, the two sensors, one Hyuga and one Inuzuka, signaled the approach of the enemy, and then everything became a conversation in sign language. When they first engaged the enemy, the battle went in their favor. But the squad they encountered switched to water and lightning techniques to completely destroy the unit. Four people remained: Kakashi, Rin, Gai, and Obito. Gai was limited due to the dangers associated with lightning, so that left them extremely short-handed. Regrouping, they moved to a different location and waited for the next group. 

"Here they come," Obito announced, his sensing the best that they had. "Eleven."

"Stay positive. We're highly trained shinobi. We can do this," Gai said, giving them a thumbs up. Kakashi gave the teen a flat look, but Gai didn't seem to mind.

"They triggered my traps," Rin alerted them, pointing to the birds fleeing the scene of the fire. 

"We'll go first. When we hit the clearing, separate. Gai," Kakashi began, interrupted by Gai's sparkling smile. "Just look after Rin. Let's move."

Obito stayed with Kakashi until they reached the edge of the forest. Despite the damp environment, flames rose into the air, smoke filtering between leaves to climb into the sky. Obito drew shuriken, while Kakashi drew his father's white sabre. Eight Kirigakure shinobi emerged from over the small hill, their clothing dotted with blood and dirt. Rin threw a smoke bomb that filled the whole area, allowing them to disappear. They were hunters, and the Kirigakure shinobi were suddenly prey. Obito threw shuriken at a three-man group, forcing them to separate, then he sent a large fireball at one. In the time before the fire connected, Obito engaged with another shinobi, where they traded harsh taijutsu blows. When the smoke had cleared, Obito saw the burnt remains of one of his targets, then he had a view of his teammates. Rin was locked in a battle of strength with another woman, their arms shaking as they tried to overpower one another. Obito took a blow to the gut, but he lashed out and cut the man across the face from cheek to cheek, leaving a bloody mess.

"Kakashi!" Rin shrieked his name, so Obito turned to look at the boy. 

Kakashi had a hand pressed over his left eye, blood dribbling from between his fingers. He doubled over for a moment, opening himself up to an attack, so Obito activated a hiraishin seal. Heart pounding, eyes burning, Obito arrived in time to cut the enemy down. He stabbed the man in the side of the neck and twisted. Obito grabbed Kakashi's arm and tugged him out of the way of another blow. He heard the earth fracture, then he turned and saw Rin crack the ground with only her fist. It was the first time she ever successfully used such a move, but the fractured earth impaled her opponent. Obito moved Kakashi's hand and examined the eye. There was no way to restore the vision, just by the way the vertical cut looked. When they managed to defeat the team and had a lull in activity, Rin tried her best to treat Kakashi's injury. 

"It's not good," Rin sighed, examining the eye with a small light. Gai stood at her back, his face grim. "I can save the eye, but I can't guarantee you'll regain sight. Can you see anything at all?"

"No." Kakashi shook his head and she finally lowered the light. 

"We'll lose this position without him," Obito spoke, saying what they were all thinking. Rin turned to shoot him a look but she gasped. "You were thinking it too," he mumbled. 

"Your eyes are red," Rin said, grabbing his shirt to drag him closer. She put the light to his eyes and looked at the tomoe. "We need backup. Someone needs to get it."

"I'll get it. I'll be back before you know it, and we'll be just fine. Look after them, Rin," Gai said, flashing them a smile. Gai bit into his thumb and pressed the bloody digit to a seal on his right hand, then he disappeared. 

"Give him my eye."

"I'm not taking your eye. I'm fine."

"Would you shut up? You aren't fine."

"Gai will be right back. Let's just wait. Don't argue," Rin said, ending the discussion. Obito suggested they separate and set more traps to help secure the area, then Kakashi and Obito worked together on a barrier. It wasn't very big, but it held. "He should have been back by now," Rin admitted, words coming after twenty minutes had passed. 

Several explosions rocked the ground, the sounds of a demolition echoing throughout the quiet forest. They turned to look in the direction of Uzushiogakure, and they saw nothing but black smoke. No one was coming for them. The village had fallen. Obito looked to Kakashi, but the boy seemed dazed, so he looked to Rin. She looked devastated. He took one of her hands, then took one of Kakashi's. The whirlpools hadn't saved them; the barriers hadn't held.

"We need to get to the caves and evacuate people from the island," Kakashi said, forcing himself to his feet. He had bandages and gauze over his left eye. Obito grabbed both of his hands. Before he could speak, the traps started going off, one right after another. Two. Seven. Twelve. Fifteen. "We're abandoning this position. We need to save as many people as possible."

"Let's leave clones and rig some explosions," Obito suggested. "We can take as many of them as we can." Obito unsealed a scroll and took out a large handful of explosive tags. They released chakra seals and made as many clones as they could, then they made them into traps. When they dispersed, the tags would go off. 

No one asked what would happen after they evacuated civilians.

It was after nightfall, on a rainy Wednesday night. They'd gone as close to Uzushiogakure as they dared, but they couldn't pick up any familiar signatures. The whole place felt like a dead zone, in comparison to days prior. By the time they reached the sea caves, they had little left to do. The barriers had been broken. There were corpses on the dry ground, other bodies partially submerged, but some people had obviously escaped. The rowboats were all gone. They sat together around a cold fire pit and went through their options. There were only a few options left. Stay. Go. Obito wanted to fight, to avenge the fallen, but Rin wanted to go. By that point, Kakashi looked exhausted. Rin had found a nasty wound on his side that she had to stitch rather than heal, as they needed all the chakra they could for whatever decision they made. 

"We could go on foot. We'd have a better chance with the whirlpools," Obito suggested, sitting down beside Kakashi, knees brought up toward his chest. "We've never sailed before. They might be watching the Land of Fire, so maybe we should go to the Land of Hot Water." 

"And then what? Everything is gone," Rin whispered, eyes downcast. Kakashi lay back on the hard ground, so Rin lifted her head to look at him. "He needs a hospital. I'm just a field medic right now. They might want to remove the eye."

"So remove it."

"What?"

"He can have mine. He's," Obito frowned, then he licked his lips. "He needs an eye and I've got two. Being a shinobi is important to him. And I guess I love him, so there's that too."

"Right now, Obito? You confess to me in a damp, smelly cave?" Kakashi sat up so that Obito could see his amusement. Blushing, Obito looked away. "When we get out of this, what if I want to retire? You never know."

"You were born to be a shinobi, idiot. Just let me do this for you, alright? Don't argue with me. My mind is made up. I got you a crappy promotion gift anyway," Obito smiled, punching Kakashi's thigh. Kakashi winced and he laughed at the boy.

"We could get into so much trouble for this." Rin kept fidgeting, fingers seeming to twitch at the pressure of the decision. "I'm in. I've got a soldier pill that will get you through the chakra strain of the eye until we can get to help."

"We'll come back with reinforcements and find survivors. Alright?" Obito looked between the two and they both nodded.

He'd never felt more like a failure.


End file.
